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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26552473">golden decay</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caisar/pseuds/Caisar'>Caisar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux Has Feelings, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Canon Compliant, Gen, Hanahaki Disease, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Oblivious Kylo Ren, Pining, Pre-Slash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:28:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26552473</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caisar/pseuds/Caisar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><br/>“A fuss over nothing,” Hux bites out, sniffing. Doesn’t look that way from where Kylo’s standing. “I’ve got a cold. Dizzy spells and coughs are hardly unusual.”</p>
  <p>“The flowers are unusual,” Kylo points out, not unkindly.<br/></p>
</blockquote>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626937</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>83</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bad Things Happen Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>golden decay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Ostensibly written for another 24-hour, &lt;1k prompt: "golden decay". I'm well-past both the deadline and the word count limit; but who's counting?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He finally spots Hux on the officers’ deck, en route to the living quarters.</p>
<p>Relief spreading through him, “General Hux,” he calls out. Hux turns his head with a faint scowl, slowing his pace just enough to let Kylo catch up.</p>
<p>Kylo’s stomach sinks at the sight. Hux looked the same as always from across the room; closer, the deeper set of his eyes turns his face skull-like, his natural pallor an unhealthy shade.</p>
<p>“Hello, Ren,” Hux greets him as Kylo falls into step—clears his throat. “How was your mission?”</p>
<p>“Bad,” Kylo admits. Hux’s going to get the full report soon enough; no reason to hide it. “Not as bad as you look, though,” he adds before Hux can comment on it. That’s not why he hunted Hux down. “I hear you finally dropped on your bridge.”</p>
<p>“A fuss over nothing,” Hux bites out, sniffing. Doesn’t look that way from where Kylo’s standing. “I’ve got a cold. Dizzy spells and coughs are hardly unusual.”</p>
<p>“The flowers are unusual,” Kylo points out, not unkindly.</p>
<p>Hux falters—steadies himself before Kylo can reach for him. Sending him a side glare, “How do you know about that?” he hisses, quickening his steps. “You can’t—you haven’t even been on the ship for weeks.”</p>
<p>“It’s the newest gossip,” Kylo lies. With Hux’s discretion, he doubts anyone but Phasma and the medical personnel has a clue—and <em>those</em> don’t break even under Kylo’s push. “I think there’s a betting pool about who it is.”</p>
<p>Hux’s nostrils flare, the tips of his ears turning an ugly red. “My private matters are no one’s business.”</p>
<p>“Your officers don’t seem to think so,” Kylo pushes just to watch his scowl deepen. “Would you tell me who it is if I asked?”</p>
<p>“Why? Did you place a wager, too?”</p>
<p>“No.” He wouldn’t even know who to bet credits on if there were a betting pool. The only one Hux is remotely friendly with is Phasma; but she wouldn’t have told Kylo about Hux’s condition if it were her.</p>
<p>“Petty curiosity, then.”</p>
<p>It’s not—</p>
<p>Well, okay, it <em>is</em>. Kylo is kriffing burning with the need to know whom the stone-hearted General loves so deeply it took literal root. Who could blame him?</p>
<p>“I’m only concerned for your health, General,” he redirects. “The First Order needs you at your best.”</p>
<p>“You can rest assured I am taking the necessary steps to ensure I will be. I’ve got a—” Hux nods at a petty officer as they pass, pausing until she’s out of earshot. “A surgery scheduled in two standard weeks.”</p>
<p>Breath catches in Kylo’s lungs. <em>Surgery</em>. “Is it so serious already?” How in the hells didn’t Kylo notice Hux’s health deteriorating for so long?</p>
<p>“Not yet; but why prolong the inevitable? The sooner these pesky things are out of me, the better.”</p>
<p>“But that’s permanent. If you follow through with it, you can’t love again, ever.”</p>
<p>Jaw locking with a <em>click</em>, Hux’s eyes dart around for unwanted ears in the empty hallway. “Must you speak so loudly?”</p>
<p><em>Fine</em>. “Does it have to come to that?” Kylo asks in a lower tone. “Have you talked to them?”</p>
<p>“I don’t need to,” Hux says, waving it off. “I happen to know they don’t feel the same.”</p>
<p>Kylo scoffs. “You happen to know.”</p>
<p>“They’ve been chasing someone else,” Hux says tightly. Raising his fist to his mouth, he clears his throat—clears it again, harder this time. “Quite literally. Now, if we could kindly—”</p>
<p>“I could change their mind,” Kylo blurts out. He doesn’t have a clue how; but the thought of Hux with his chest cut open sets his stomach to fire. He will find a way. “Just tell me who it is.”</p>
<p>Fishing out a black handkerchief, “Leave it, Ren,” Hux chokes—coughs wetly into it, his shoulders shaking with the effort to get the flower out. Kylo’s heart lurches with it.</p>
<p>“I could take the name out of your head.”</p>
<p>“Oh could you?” Hux grates out, bunching up the fabric and stashing it away. Kylo only catches a glimpse of a gold before it disappears. “And what would Leader Snoke say when he hears you rummaged through my head for little more than gossip material?”</p>
<p>Nothing. Snoke doesn’t care about Hux as much as Hux imagines, though he probably wouldn’t like Kylo riling up his top general unnecessarily. “I could still find them.”</p>
<p>“How do you plan to do that? Will you quiz everyone on their favorite flower and compare?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” Kylo throws back, shrugging a shoulder. “Mine are Mysess blossoms. How about yours?”</p>
<p>Striding past Kylo, Hux turns to face him—Kylo stops in his tracks. “I don’t care for your insistence, Ren,” Hux says slowly, enunciating each word carefully. The fire in his steely gaze sends a low, odd buzz under Kylo’s skin. “I’ve made up my mind. I’ve got no reason to change it. As far as I’m concerned, we’ve never even had this conversation. Do you understand?”</p>
<p>His heart pressing hard against his lungs, Kylo nods.</p>
<p>Hux nods back, pulling away. “Now, if we’re quite done here, I’d like to retire to my quarters. You must have missed your bed as well, I’m certain. I’ll be waiting for your mission report once it is ready.”</p>
<p>Hux turns and leaves without waiting for his response, sharp steps echoing through the empty hall. A part of Kylo leaves with him.</p>
<p>The report. After that disaster of a mission, he needs to get it out of the way as soon as possible; but Hux was right on one account: It <em>has</em> been a kriffing long time since he slept on a bed. Things will make more sense once he gets some rest.</p>
<p>He hopes so anyway.</p>
<p>As he turns to his own wing, something on the floor catches his eye—the handkerchief.</p>
<p>He glances at the small bundle, then the corner where Hux disappeared. If he hurries, he can catch up with Hux before Hux reaches his rooms and hand it over without another word. That would be the end of it, for both of them; Kylo would pretend not to know Hux’s love is killing him and Hux could pretend everything is fine all the way to the operating table.</p>
<p>No. No, Kylo can’t—not with what’s at stake.</p>
<p>Kneeling, he picks up his best chance at finding the bastard responsible for Hux’s circumstances with careful fingers. Hux can make light of his methods all he wants; a person’s tastes in nature gives away plenty about their origins. If the flower is exotic enough, Kylo could narrow down the possibilities into a small pool with Phasma’s help.</p>
<p>Unless the object of Hux’s affections is tasteless enough to like roses or lilies best, that is. Hoping against hope that he won’t find some generic plant, he gently unfolds the handkerchief, revealing—</p>
<p>A full Mysess blossom.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Written for: Bad Things Happen Bingo, for the prompt: definitely just a cold. (9/25 filled; find the full list <a href="https://desynchimminent.tumblr.com/post/181821535129/received-my-card-for-bad-things-happen-bingo-full">here</a>.)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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